


Walk Beside You

by zarrati



Series: Triplet Fic [7]
Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-04-30 21:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5180933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarrati/pseuds/zarrati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He’s so wrapped around her finger he couldn’t refuse her even if he wanted to. He climbs back into her bed and she immediately curls herself into him.<br/>Yes, the bed is a little cramped and small, and yes he wakes up with an ache in his back, but it’s all worth it.<br/>Who else will keep the monsters away?""<br/>Based on the prompt: Each triplet coming to their parents for something throughout their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walk Beside You

**Stephen**

“Dad?”

Ben looks up from his book and regards his 12-year-old son. He takes in his rumpled clothes and slightly red, puffy eyes. “Yeah, bud, what’s up?”

“Uhm,” his voice cracks and he clears his throat, “c-could I talk to you about something?”

Ben furrows his brow, but nods and slides over on the couch to make room for Stephen to sit next to him. “Of course. Come here and tell me what’s on your mind.”

Stephen sits next to him but stays silent, sniffling ever-so-softly and wringing his hands.

“You okay?” his father asks, not wanting to push, but still worried.

“Uhm, I don’t know. It’s just…it’s just Gabby broke up with me today.”

Gabby? Ben wracked his brain, feeling like a terrible father that he had no idea what his son was talking about. Until…Oh! Right, Gabby, sweet girl from school. She played clarinet in the band, and he vaguely remembers two weeks ago Stephen mentioning they were “dating”–which entailed sitting next to each other at lunch and holding hands between classes.

But he remembers how even young love could hurt when it was taken away, so he wraps his arm around Stephens shoulder. “Oh, I’m sorry, Stevie.”

“Yeah, she said that another guy from band–stupid Henry F. that plays the trumpet asked her to sit with him at lunch and she said yes and told me we weren’t dating anymore.”

Ben almost wants to smile at the middle school style romance, but the real pain on his son’s face quells that emotion quickly. “I know it hurts. It’s okay to feel sad about it.”

“I know it’s kinda stupid cuz we barely dated, but she was my first girlfriend and I really liked her.”  Stephen wipes his nose with the sleeve of his hooded sweatshirt. “Dad, how do you know when you’re in love?”

Ben raises his eyebrows. “Do you think you were in love with Gabby?”

“No,” he shrugs. “I’m just curious if I’ll ever know what it’s like.”

“Oh, Stephen, you will. You’re still so young. And love…wow, love can be the worst and greatest feeling in the world. When you love someone, you get these butterflies in your stomach just by thinking about them. You want to be with them all of the time because you feel like a better person when you’re with them. And when you aren’t with them, you wish more than anything that you were. 

“You want to do things for them just to bring a smile to their face. You give them random gifts just because you thought of them when you saw it. The sound of their voice, their laugh, it’s all music to your ears. You don’t want to imagine your life without them–you can’t imagine it.”

“That all sounds great. How can it be the worst?”

Ben sighs. “Because when you feel that strongly about someone during the good times, it makes feelings during the bad times all that much harder. You still hurt the people you love, and that kills. And there might come a time when you have to be apart, and that feeling, that pain is one of the worst feelings in the world.”

Stephen looks at his father sympathetically. “Is that how you felt when you and Mom had to break up for a little bit?”

“Yeah,” he answers, ruffling his son’s hair. “Those few months were terrible. I did a lot of crying, a lot of sitting alone eating soup, a lot of sadness baths, and it felt like a part of me had been ripped away. Mind you, I didn’t realize how in love with your mother I was up until we broke up and I felt the way I did. But that’s another thing you do for people you love. You sacrifice for them. I was willing to sacrifice our relationship so she could run her campaign, but in the end, she was willing to sacrifice her campaign for our relationship. Love is always a two-way street. Remember that.”

Stephen nodded slowly. “Wow, that’s a lot.”

“Yeah, it is,” Ben laughs. “But one day you’ll love someone just as much as I love your mom, and everything that has ever happened leading up to that point will be worth it.”

“I know I wasn’t in love with Gabby, but it still hurts.”

“That’s okay. It’s allowed to hurt.”

“But, uhm, thanks…you know, for talking to me about everything.” Stephen looks hesitant before pulling his father into a hug.

“Anytime, son. Anytime.”

* * *

**Wesley**

Ben and Leslie are side by side preparing dinner in the kitchen when the front door slams. But instead of the expected two sets of feet, they only hear the one.

“Hey, Stephen. How were baseball tryouts?” Leslie asks as she slices the tomatoes.

“Uhm, they were good.”

“Yeah? You make the team?”

He just nods and gives a strained smile.

“That’s great,” Ben cuts in. “Where’s your brother?”

“He wasn’t ready to come in. He…he didn’t make the team.”

Ben and Leslie’s faces both drop. “Oh, no,” Leslie groans. “Poor baby.”

Ben’s already untying his apron, but Leslie stops him. “Let me go talk to him, okay?”

Ben nods and goes back to preparing the chicken.

Leslie walks past Stephen and kisses him on his forehead. “Congratulations. We’re very proud of you, okay?”

Stephen tries to smile, but comes up short.

Leslie opens the front door and finds her son sitting dejected on the front stoop.

“Let me guess,” he says without turning around, “Stevie told you and now you’re here to give me big pep talk about perseverance and trying your best, and that as long as I gave it all I got, that’s all I could hope for.”

She sits beside him. “Well, no. Although all of those things are true, that’s not why I’m here. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and see if you wanted to talk about it.”

Wesley snorts. “Yeah, who wouldn’t want to talk about being a complete failure?”

“Hey, you are not a failure.”

“Sure I’m not.” Another eye roll. “I just suck at everything.”

“That is my son you’re talking about. I know my son, and he is not a failure.”

“Well, what else would you call it? I tried out and I failed.”

“Sweetheart, failing at something doesn’t make you a failure. It happens to everyone.”

“You have to say that,” he mumbles. “You’re my mom. But don’t pretend that dad isn’t gonna be disappointed in me.”

“What on earth would make you think that?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. I know he was really excited when we said we were gonna try out and I know he played in school and now Stephen-”

“Hey, I’m gonna stop you right there. Yes, your father was excited that you two were trying out, but the only thing he is upset about is that you are out here upset. He wanted it for you, not for him, and he’s not gonna all of a sudden love Stephen more because he made the team and you didn’t.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.”

Leslie takes a deep breath. “Do you think I’m a failure?” she asks after a minute.

“What?” he turns to her and looks confused. “What does that even have to do with anything?”

“Just answer the question. Honestly, do you think I’m a failure?”

Wesley stammers for a few moments. “No, I mean how could I? You ran a branch of the National Parks Service, became a director at interior, and now you’re the freaking governor. You are, like, the opposite of a failure.”

“What if I told you that along the way I failed at a lot of things. Like, I mean really  failed. Nosedive into the ground kind of failure. I mean, I was recalled from City Council after being there barely a year. That’s some hardcore failing.”

“Well, yeah, but you still did a lot of other amazing stuff and…oh, I see where you’re going with this.”

“Good,” Leslie grins and nudges his shoulder with hers. “Okay, so yeah you might have failed at this one thing, but it doesn’t define you. You’re still an excellent student, a rising star in Model UN, and most importantly, a great person and friend. You have so much going for you, sweetheart. So what if you didn’t make the team? It’s okay to be upset, but don’t for one second think that this makes you any less of a person, or that we are any less proud of you. You just keep being yourself, and if it’s something you want, practice really hard and try again next year.”

“You know, sometimes it’s annoying how right you are,” he grumbles, but shoots her a smirk.

“It’s a curse you and your father have to live with.” Leslie moves and plants a few wet, sloppy kisses on her sons cheek as he squirms away.

“Aw, Mom, come on.”

“Hey, you used to love when I did that when you were a baby,” she pouts and then pats his knee. “Come on, slugger. It’s almost dinner time.”

* * *

**Sonia**

A soft scream of “Daddy” wakes him in the middle of the night, a scream he can only hear because his ears are now tuned to the same frequency as his little girl’s voice.

He rushes from the bed, now empty since Leslie is away on business, and thanks God that his sons sleep like rocks.

He bursts through the door to her bedroom, and finds her sitting up and sobbing while clutching her favorite stuffed animal to her chest.

He climbs into her small, twin bed and she immediately launches herself into his arms.

“Shhh, it’s okay, baby,” he soothes her. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you?”

She just hiccups and shakes her head.

“It’s okay. Daddy’s here. I got you.”

She climbs even further onto his lap, and soon he is humming softly and rocking her back and forth.

“You wanna tell me what happened?”

She catches her breath and tries to talk. “I-I had a b-bad dream that th-there was something under my bed and he c-climbed out and tried to eat me.” She breaks down again into sobs. “Please don’t let him eat me, Daddy.”

“Oh, no, sweetheart. There’s no monster under your bed. I promise.”

“H-how do you know?”

“I just do. I know, I’ll go and check for you, okay? I’ll check and make sure there are no monsters.”

“No, Daddy! I don’t want it to try to eat you, too.”

Ben tries to hide his smile. “I appreciate your concern, but I promise it’s not there and it won’t hurt me.”

After a few seconds, Sonia loosens her grip and nods. “Okay, but be careful.” She grabs another stuffed animal from her bed and hands it to him. “Here. Take Ms. Wiggles with you. She’ll help keep you safe.”

He graciously accepts the toy and climbs of the bed. He lays himself on his stomach and peers under the bed, seeing nothing but a few stray toys and socks.

“All clear, sunshine,” Ben says as he pops his head back up. “As an Indiana Congressman, I officially declare this a “Monster-Free Zone.”

Sonia giggles through her tears. “You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

She actually releases a sigh of relief and Ben kisses her forehead. “You think you can go back to sleep?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Night, baby.”

“Daddy…c-can you stay with me? Please?”

He’s so wrapped around her finger he couldn’t refuse her even if he wanted to. He climbs back into her bed and she immediately curls herself into him.

Yes, the bed is a little cramped and small, and yes he wakes up with an ache in his back, but it’s all worth it.

Who else will keep the monsters away?


End file.
